Not Applicable
Not Applicable
The present invention relates to clothing and, more particularly, to high visibility vests, which are worn for safety, daytime or nighttime, over uniforms or other outer clothing, typically by personnel involved in police, fire, safety, hospital, and other public services.
High visibility articles of clothing typically incorporate combinations of luminescent and retro-reflective surfaces, which combine to provide brilliant contrast against relatively obscure daytime and nighttime backgrounds. As is well known, luminescent surfaces are coated or impregnated with chemical compositions (i.e. fluorescent or phosphorescent) that collect light, which may be of relatively low luminosity, e.g. ambient light, and respond by emitting light of relatively high luminosity. As is well known, retro-reflective surfaces (i.e. distributions of minute corner reflectors or high refractive index glass beads) return specular light in the direction of its source, e.g. vehicle headlights at night.
Regular clothing often is appropriate in service situations. Service clothing often is designed with safety as a special consideration. In any case, it is necessary to minimize the likelihood that a wearer may become a victim when clothing, particularly an accessory vest, is caught accidentally by a vehicle hazard, grasped deliberately during an assault, or contaminated by chemical or biological agents during a rescue effort.
The object of the present invention is to provide a light weight, high visibility vest, which is intended to be slipped on and worn over regular or service clothing, but which may removed instantly if required. The vest of the present invention comprises: front and back luminescent panels that extend substantially from the shoulders to the waist or hips; mating fastener arrangements or other readily separable fastener arrangements, preferably at the shoulders and the waist or hips, connecting the front and back panels; and retro-reflective bands spanning the front and back panels and bordering regions for the presentation of alphanumeric or other graphic indicia. Preferably, the retroreflective bands include upper and lower horizontal bands, and retro-reflective bands that extend between the upper horizontal reflective bands and the shoulders, typically in parallel and/or intersecting orientations. Preferably, narrow matching trim bounds free edges of the front and back panels, and opposed edges of the retro-reflective bands. The trim at the free edges is provided by selvedge fabric that overlaps the free edges. The trim at the edges of the bands is provided by backing fabric that extends oppositely beyond the longitudinal edges of the bands. The vest structure is neat and authoritative in appearance, is effectively vivid and informative in operation, and may be easily and instantaneously ripped away from a wearer when required for safety.